Anyone in the mood for the vibrant brand of Modernism exemplified by Mexican masters Luis Barragan and Ricardo Legorreta will have to look somewhere besides Mexico City’s new Distrito Capital boutique hotel, a ravishing Modernist nirvana with nary a nod to Mexican culture in sight.

French architect Joseph Dirand, whose previous hospitality venture in Mexico produced the austere Hotel Habitat Monterrey, oversaw the interior design at Distrito Capital, and it shows. As with Habitat Monterrey, Dirand’s European flair is prominently on display, with furnishings by great Danes Saarinen and Aalto taking center stage.

Refinement and restraint, down to the monochromatic color scheme, reigns supreme—making Distrito Capital a Mexican destination in which the only Latin reference point lies in its breathtaking panoramic views.